These are testing times. And they're far from over. We're used to receiving ultimatums saying: 'if you don't...' and 'what if...'.

Contracts, regulators, funding, we faced so many challenges, but nothing quite compares to we've seen during this pandemic. Ask yourself then, what if there wasn't a group of dentists fighting for the profession, putting your needs and those of patients' first? What if the BDA wasn't here to doggedly demand what's right in the face of unprecedented adversity?

The government may put dentists low down the list of its priorities, but we haven't and we won't.

History will judge our civil servants, politicians and scientists on the wisdom of their choices they made to guide the country through this crisis. There are no black and white answers. But we are content to be judged by our members on the basis of our response.

History will judge our civil servants, politicians and scientists on the wisdom of their choices they made to guide the country through this crisis. There are no black and white answers. But we are content to be judged by our members on the basis of our response.

We set out to provide you with information as fast as it appeared, bringing together practical advice to reflect the latest guidance https://bda.org/advice/Coronavirus/

But our job isn't merely to report events but to make change happen. So we've lobbied, we've negotiated, and we've secured results.

It is work you can see in the shape of financial mitigation packages for NHS contract holders across the four UK nations. It's translated into a degree of certainty for owners, and protections for associates.

We don't pretend it's perfect. This isn't where any of us expected to be in 2020. And the work goes on, as we strive to get a safety net in place for every practice and every practitioner.

From the off we've relied on our members. It seems a lifetime ago, but back in February you told us of growing problems accessing supplies of facemasks. We raised the alarm, and secured action. What's taken place since then will be remembered as a defining moment for this profession and this country. Routine treatment is no longer an option, parliament is suspended, and families are in lockdown.

Through it all this profession has cried out for leadership, and when it hasn't been forthcoming from our overseers, we've not been afraid to make ourselves clear.

We didn't take it lightly when we advised our members to move to emergency-only treatment. Ultimately it reflected the realities they were confronting daily, facing down a public health emergency without adequate protection.

This is a unique moment for this profession. Whether working on the high street, in hospitals, in clinics or classrooms it has touched every one of us.

We are living in a very different world. Your regular workplace may now be shuttered. You may find yourself awaiting redeployment to an emergency hub or working shoulder to shoulder with medics on the front line. But wherever you are, we will be here for you in the weeks and months ahead.

We appreciate the hard choices being made by dentists and their teams. And we are doing everything in our power to deliver for you on the issues that matter.

Our guiding priority remains the safety or our members and their patients, and ensuring that their practices and this service can have bright future.

So sincere thanks to all our members. Your support means the BDA exists to fight for the profession. For the foreseeable future we're apart, but together, we're stronger.